


He isn’t ...but I am

by Red45



Category: Hannibal Lecter Tetralogy - Thomas Harris, Hannibal Lecter/Clarice Starling - Fandom
Genre: Chesapeake, F/M, Mentioned Mischa Lecter, Murder, Paul Krendler/Jack Crawford/Buenos Aires/ ref to Benjamin Raspail/ Will Graham, Remembering Ardelia Mapp, frederick chilton - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28028205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red45/pseuds/Red45
Summary: Exploring what happened after the meal involving Krendler and how Clarices character is evolving after her “becoming” at the Chesapeake house and the events of her first months in Buenos Aires with Doctor Lecter.I added into this Prologue that our couple attend a concert by Andre Rieu, this is a nod to Antony Hopkins whom my Lecter is based on as he did in fact compose a Waltz known as the Hopkins Waltz which Andre Rieu has performed and can be viewed on You Tube.
Relationships: Hannibal Lecter/Clarice Starling
Kudos: 11





	1. Chesapeake January - July 1998

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at fan fiction, for a time this story was incomplete but is now finished, I do hope you enjoy it.

PROLOGUE / JANUARY - JULY 1998 CHESAPEAKE

This certainly promised to be a New Year’s Day like no other Clarice had ever encountered. The Doctor had risen early to see to “the task in hand” as he had so tactfully put it leaving her to see to the breakfast dishes and make sure a supply of hot coffee was on hand during the mornings work and assist him in the preparations for later when he was ready.

The January wind howled across the Chesapeake Bay faintly carrying the sound of the Autopsy Saw as it diligently carried out its work at its masters skilled hands gutting and dismembering the corpse of Krendler, in the outhouse at the bottom of the garden. They had reasoned that the frost bitten ground would be too hard at the moment to dig for a grave and dismembering the best option, disposing of the pieces separately to make identification harder should any be found.  
Clarice busied herself as they had discussed she would so once showered and dressed she started working carefully in the dining room, moving steadily on down the hallway towards the kitchen cleaning as thoroughly as she could, using her crime scene forensics knowledge to make sure any trace of their guest was eradicated from the rooms he had been in. A general clean of the rest of house would take place later that afternoon, there was no rush for that.  
Lastly she proceeded down to the garage, mop bucket, bleach and cloths in hand and then onto to the Pick Up Truck to further remove any evidence of Krendlers last ride from the rear of the vehicle.  
The Doctor had collected the Pick Up using his spare set of keys from the Grocery store car park in Arlington after it had been stranded there when he was unceremoniously kidnapped from there by the Sards. It had been a bothersome task for him, he had had to leave Clarice in the house alone and still unconscious from the effects of the livestock sedative plus contend with a very annoying cab driver who had insisted on chatting all the way there about the Presidents scandalous affairs surrounding the White House which were of no interest to the Doctor at all.

Once Clarice was satisfied with the work she had done and some two hours later she poured freshly brewed coffee for them both, removed some muffins from the grill, buttered them up and placed the food on a tray. She also pulled the roll of strong green garden waste sacks from under the sink tucking them under her arm and tray in hand proceeded down to the outhouse to see if The Doctor was ready for phase two of their plan to dispose of the remains of Krendler. 

Anyone else would have steeled themselves for what they were about to witness as she popped her head round the door but Clarice still felt unnaturally calm and was not in the least bothered by what sight would meet her eyes. This state was not a result of drugs, the effect of those had worn off a good twelve hours since, before dinner had even ended if she was being honest. It was that she simply didn’t care to be bothered about it, she could not say why but unperturbed she was and in she went smiling broadly.

Stood in a pair of dark disposable waterproof overalls and rubber gloves the Doctor was carefully mixing a large bucket of cement with Paul Krendler now dismembered at his feet. All very tidily done, arms and legs removed and halved in size and what was left of his head was wrapped in a plastic bag on top of the neat pile of limbs. His torso was cleanly cut into four sections, his innards filled to the brim nearby in another bucket. The Doctor had taken the hose and cleaned down the table he had used for the task, placed the saw on charge and then hosed and swept out the outhouse so by the time Clarice arrived everything was in an orderly fashion and phase two was more than ready to go ahead once the refreshments had been served.

You certainly did some good planning for this Doctor, I am most impressed with this well executed task she remarked genuinely surprised at the sheer order and neatness of it all. The most mess she noticed was a fine spray of blood across the doctors face from the close and messy work the dismembering had called for. A very smooth operator indeed she chuckled as she handed him a steaming cup of black coffee from the tray and placed a muffin in his other hand once he had removed his gloves.  
Well I have had plenty of time to plan it, he said hungrily tucking into the muffin. It is always easier to leave a corpse behind you but our mutual friend here is a special case, have you heard of the saying “you don’t shit where you sleep” Clarice?  
Yes I can honestly say that I have laughed Clarice, fair comment.  
Well that is exactly what has happened here said the Doctor gesturing to the pile of remains with his hand, and when that occurs you go full steam ahead and clean it up he smirked feeling rather pleased with himself. Both laughed as they drained their cups and unrolled the bin sacks, smoothing and shaking them out in preparation for the next leg of Krendlers journey.

Once they had both donned clean disposable gloves and Clarice an overall of her own the body parts and offal were carefully placed into separate sacks, the same procedure for each. Quarter filled with the ready mixed concrete and a limb added into it. Clarice was tasked with this job while the Doctor made more concrete mixture as required to keep the job moving as he so eloquently put it. The sacks were then set aside while the concrete mixture set then they were tied, bound with thick brown parcel tape tightly from top to bottom and left until nightfall, when the final phase would take place.

As darkness descended both donned dark clothes so that they would not stand out against the dark and angry sky above them. The Doctor also managed to provide Clarice with a spare dark heavy jacket to keep the biting cold out and instructed her to put on a pair of sturdy walking boots he had bought her.

The overalls, gloves and cleaning cloths used earlier had been burnt in the drawing room on the fire along with the funeral tux suit and clothing Krendler had worn, as well as his shoes. Clarice suppressed as snigger as she threw the dopey runners headband into the flames he always wore with a fair flourish of her hand feeling satisfied that the last of the idiots belongings had finally gone up in smoke. Later once this last task this evening was complete their clothing would be boil washed to remove any trace that they had ever had a hand on him. Coupled with Clarices cleaning inside the house they were both assured that all evidence of Krendlers presence had gone, it was like he had never set foot in the property and the Doctor was very pleased with her work.

As the afternoon came to a close the Doctor looked at the clock, 5.30pm and reasoned that most people with boats or walkers along the shore would not be out this evening due not only to the weather which was turning very nasty but to New Years Eve party hangovers and people by now also suffering the effects of any further over indulgences with food and drink to celebrate this New Years Day. Yes, he thought staring out of the patio doors into the quiet darkness of the garden..........the time is now.

Out they went hand in hand to the outhouse where they each selected a sack and proceeded down to the small boathouse in which the German landlord kept a small diesel powered boat.

The Doctor, mindful of the weight of the sacks helped Clarice by providing her with a wheelbarrow he had found in the back of the outhouse for her to use while he simply heaved them up one at a time and carried them in his arms seemingly effortlessly down to the boathouse. In total it took three trips between them, and the Doctor made sure he spread the sacks evenly in the bottom of the boat so once they both got in the weight was distributed evenly.

I hope you know what you are doing with this said Clarice warily looking at the small two man vessel in front of her bobbing around as the Doctor helped her aboard and untied the rope holding them to the mooring. The darkness of the cloudy sky seemed vast above them now combined with the ever rolling waves of the bay making the boat tip and sway in a way she felt sure would make her sick if she focused on it for too long. It was at this point whilst giving the Doctor a feeble thumbs up sign once aboard and setting herself down that she recalled to herself that swimming was never a strong point of hers but better not to mention that right now.

Don’t worry my love, when have I ever failed you he shouted light heartedly over the wind noticing the furrow on her brow as she eyed their surroundings. After a few attempts to get the boat started along with one almighty pitch to the side as the motor spluttered to life the little engine settled down and chugged nicely, then they were off to the centre and deepest part of the bay.

Still due to a horrible fear in her mind that the whole craft would simply tip over or worst case sink if they weren’t careful Clarice slowly handed the heavy sacks to the Doctor who diligently placed them over the side with a satisfying plop into the deep water and he watched to be sure each one disappeared without trace straight to the bottom of the Bay.  
Afterward once back at the mooring point they then had the task of coupling the boat back the the electric winch which pulled it back into its resting place, once more inside the boathouse.  
By now cold and soaked due to the heavy rain that had started on the way back they still took a moment and kissed, a celebration of a job well done and ran together hand in hand back to the warmth of the house.

Over dinner that evening the Doctor laid out his plans to Clarice as he saw them for the next few months, if she was in agreement he would help her to construct a new identity. He would provide her with all documents to back that up through his personal contacts in Brazil if she truly was prepared and committed to considering the idea of accompanying him to Argentina.

As far as Clarice was concerned there was nothing left to think about. There was no way back to the FBI now and if there suddenly were it was something she would never do, that part of her life was over and in the conversation that followed she made sure in no uncertain terms the Doctor was fully aware of that.

There is nothing to consider she said quite matter of factly musing over her half finished glass of wine. My life is with you now, I had hoped that was obvious now that we share a bed together, just tell me what you want from me and I shall do my best to do it. 

Well, said the Doctor I have come to realise that I cannot ever tell you what to do, but I can certainly advise you on what we need to do. There will be busy weeks and months ahead, once we have established your identity you must know it and all the history she has of the last 33 years of her life as well as you know the back of your hand.  
He leaned closer now, elbows on the table resting his hands under his chin and engaged her with his piercing gaze head on. Once we have a name and backgrounds history that is when you will become her, you must be so conversant in who you are that by the time we leave you truly believe you are her. 

He sat back now to allow Clarice to take in what he had said then continued. All of this is necessary to protect us both in our new life, if you are ever apprehended and questioned you must be able to stand up to the most intense of interrogation. You must not slip up, not once or both our freedoms and the life we have created will be in jeopardy, do you understand.

Doctor, with all due respect I understand through my line of work the importance of taking on the role of another with the many undercover assignments I have been involved in and I certainly know how intense an interrogation by police officers or customs officials is. So yes I am going into this with my eyes wide open and if I have to become someone else in order to be with you then so be it, bring it on she said with relish.  
Good, very good Clarice said the Doctor as he drained the rest of his wine and set his glass aside. As you know my name in which this house is rented is Dr Ivan Novak. I am a retired archaeologist from a wealthy European family in Slovenia. Before he went any further Clarice interrupted, can I just ask please, where did the name come from, was it someone deceased whose identity you took, that’s how these things usually work isn’t it? A pause from the Doctor before he continued, no not at all, well not in this case. Ivan is a Eastern European name as is Novak, as common as potato chips. I wanted it to be so in case anyone tried to trace my past, that becomes much harder with a common name plus the name Novak translated means “new man” which I find quite appropriate under the circumstances he chuckled, you know I like to have my fun with such things.  
I see said Clarice, would we travel together as Mr & Mrs Novak?? If I came across as your wife I think that would be better, I can touch you then in public without people staring she said raising an eyebrow suggestively and winked.  
Clarice, I would be delighted to have you on my arm as Mrs Novak but I am afraid with a 25 year age gap between us we may always draw suspicious glances wherever we go as long as you don’t mind.  
Never, never never she said firmly. I am proud to be with you and I don’t care what anyone thinks, I really don’t give a damn, let them look she said with disgust staring at her plate. She had borne the brunt of salacious rumour and gossip for more than seven years at the FBI, by now she felt immune to it.

Alright then said the Doctor rising from his chair, Mrs Novak it is. I have this house on lease until September at the latest, in that time I shall sort you documents and coach you so you are proficient in memorising your new identity, all we need to do is find you a name. As unsavoury as this business is, you mentioned earlier what would be the best way to do that, well the best way would be to find a deceased person, a baby if possible whose identity you can use. They will need to be same birth year as you so that ages match and.......before he could finish Clarice again cut in. 

I think I can help you with that. She looked deep in thought for a moment then revealed the story of her mother’s cousin in Texas who gave birth to a baby girl four months after Clarice was born but without warning was found to have died in her sleep without explanation some four days after she was born. Clarice revealed the babies name had been Kimberley Donahue, her father an Irishman who had come to America in search of a better life during the late 1950s, and they had settled in Dallas. As hard as she tried to recall any further information she was unable, the family hardly socialised together as it was. She only recalled seeing her aunt once or twice in the whole ten years she was at home, she didn’t even recall her aunt and uncle attending her fathers funeral.

Well said the Doctor who rose from his chair and once again knelt before her gently taking her hand, if you are happy to give this child another chance at life through you then the information you have given me will be enough to get us started. Tomorrow we shall look for and apply for her birth certificate which will tell us personal details like her address and such and you and I shall build her life from there from her first day at school to the present day. We shall learn about her together as I need to know as much about her as you do. You will also over the coming months need to become conversant with my Novak persona, I shall make sure I write notes for you to study, and be assured the Doctor said with a more serious tone, you will be questioned thoroughly and regularly in the coming months to make sure you know it.

As will you dear about me, I can assure you of that Clarice said in a mocking but firm tone rising from her chair. By the way I think for day to day I prefer Kim rather than Kimberley she decided wrapping her arms around his neck as he stood up and embraced her round the waist.

I like the sound of that Clarice, Kim, Kim Novak. Do you know there was a film star in the 1950s with the same name but she had short blond hair, as was the fashion at the time. I shall think of her and that will help me memorise your name, a most pleasant thought that will be as I recall she was very attractive.

I see said Clarice with a hint of challenge in her voice, what about it then, if I have the name of a Hollywood starlet from the Silver Screen how about I have her look as well, take my hair shorter and bleach it?  
The Doctor was initially taken aback by her sudden idea to rid herself of her gorgeous brown locks which fell just below her shoulders in natural soft curls, but then again not really surprised. Her habit of surprising him was becoming a regular thing of late so he chose his answer carefully.  
Well, you know I like you as you are so the decision must be yours, I will support whatever you wish to do as in the end you will do what you want anyway he sighed with a laugh and shrug of his shoulders.  
If you fancy giving it a try the let’s go for it he said.  
I do said Clarice with determination in her voice, I really want to enter into my new persona 100% , yes, it’s decided tomorrow we shall add to our to do list finding Clarice aka Kim a good hair salon. I can test drive the look and see if I am happy with it longer term, if not I can go back to brown colour before I have to have identity photos done for my documents.

With much on their mind and lots to do our couple grabbed their glasses and the half full bottle of wine from the table and retired to bed.

Over the coming months the two of them built a life for Kim Novak, documents supporting her existence arrived after correspondence with contacts in Rio and Clarice in turn learned the background of her new husband, Ivan Novak. Clarice had found a salon locally who had crafted her new honey blond bob and regularly went back very 6-8 weeks to have her roots done and the style kept in shape. She had been worried at first about someone recognising her but it was all for nothing when she realised no one was looking for her. On a missing persons website that the Arlington police ran there was not even a photograph, just a mention of her name. Last seen by a neighbour apparently who spotted her running to her Mustang on Dec 23rd around 6.30pm from her house and was never seen again. All they had put was the registration plate of her Mustang, if she didn’t feel like Joe Blow before she did now.

By the end of April as a beautiful spring began to turn into the warmer summer Clarice and the Doctor were no more. By now they referred to each other only as there assumed names in order to be fully ensconced in their new role and continued to coach one another talking about events from their past as it were to be more than sure they were both fully rehearsed in their personas.  
They also had also taken to learning Spanish from books they purchased as that was the language in Argentina and Clarice did have some faint knowledge from tuition at college so in the very beginning was actually tutoring the Doctor which she found most amusing. However with his strong grasp of Portuguese from his time spent in Rio it was not long before he had overtaken her in becoming fluent due to the similarity of the two languages.

Further work was also given to fleshing out Kim and Ivan’s fictitious background together and It was decided that Ivan had met Kim while she worked as a tour guide at the Smithsonian in Washington. A reference from them had been fabricated to support this and she was more than familiar with the place due to a short lived courtship with Noble Pilcher who worked there and had assisted her during the Buffalo Bill case. She had met him there several times after work often looking around the place while he was delayed in his office trying to identify one bug or another so she did indeed have a decent knowledge of the place, certainly enough to convince people she had worked there if necessary.  
She and the Doctor decided that they had formed a friendship through his visits as a tourist there enjoying an early retirement which went onto dating They were eventually married in a small ceremony in the Autumn of 1995 and would be celebrating their third wedding anniversary this year.

All in all the preparations to start their new life were building well, the only bad thing to happen was the news of Jack Crawfords death at the end of January which had really shocked her. Yes she understood he was unwell but had no idea how ill he actually was. It did trouble her greatly that she was not able to pay her respects at his funeral. It was suggested by the Doctor that maybe she attend but watch from a distance in disguise but Clarice decided against it, she would do nothing to jeopardise her new life and a foolish folly like that could have been their undoing had someone recognised her.  
Instead she waited for a clear month after the date of the funeral and drove herself to the cemetery after enquiries were made regarding the location of the plot and laid an anonymous bouquet of white lilies where he lay alongside his wife in the vast All Saints Cemetery in Washington.

Margot Verger had kept her end of the bargain regarding her deal to be silent with the Doctor regarding the handing over of Krendler to him. Not a word was heard about her in the news once the Circus of the Murders had subsided and Mason had been buried. Was Judy pregnant? No one knew, the two were laying low and who could blame them.

After so many months of hard work the Doctor announced that he was giving a months notice to quit the property early. He was satisfied with their preparations and saw no need to stay longer than they had to so he made the call giving notice to quit which would involve a visit from the Agent to inspect the property to ensure everything was as it should be and nothing was missing or damaged. Personal items such as the musical instruments were packed and shipped to Buenos Aires, where a storage facility would hold the items until they had found accommodation in the city and could reclaim them. The Pick Up was taken to a remote spot and set alight, the Mustang had a change of plates and was mothballed in a storage facility in Baltimore. This left them with the Jaguar for daily use whose lease was also coming to an end in conjunction with there date to leave America for Argentina on July 1st. It was arranged that they would have the car collected from the house on June 30th and from there a private cab would drop them at the airport the next day where they would join up with the Beautiful Buenos Aires & Iguazu Falls tour group they were booked with and be hopefully fast tracked through customs and onto the plane with the rest of the herd as the Doctor so nicely put it.

To celebrate their new beginning the Doctor planned a weekend away to New York to tie in with a performance by Andre Rieu and the Viennese Philharmonic at Madison Square Garden which both enjoyed immensely. This was also an opportunity for him to test drive his new addition to his appearance. In order to blend in more he had ordered prescription contact lenses at his last eye test in Florence in a fetching shade of blue, this did away with the need for glasses and also disguised his maroon eyes which compared to everyday people stood out like a sore thumb. All of his photo ID regarding Ivan Novak involved him using blue lenses but the ones before had been simply cosmetic. With these new lenses he could actually use them to read as well without the need to keep remembering his glasses whenever he went. The next day they visited a modest jewellers so not to draw too much attention to themselves and purchased wedding rings. Clarice chose a simple solitaire diamond on a white gold band for her engagement ring and they were fortunate that they had their correct finger width sizes in stock which did away with any need to have them resized and collected at a later date. They spun a tale to the jeweller that the Doctor had spontaneously proposed while atop the Empire State Building the day before and it made sense to choose the wedding bands at the same time as they only wanted short engagement. Truth was the Jeweller could not have cared less. He was just thrilled that after a slow day custom wise this couple however odd had just spent the best part of 1200 dollars in less than thirty minutes so he was more than happy with that.

On leaving the shop with their goods the two burst out laughing at the tall cringeworthy tale and made their way through Central Park pausing at a garbage bin to dispose of the jewellers packaging and put the rings on their fingers. Clarice held up her hand to watch the diamond sparkle in the sunlight whilst the Doctor ordered two take out coffees from a kiosk nearby. Then after the obligatory tourist trap carriage ride which Clarice badgered him to do with her something chronic they headed back to their hotel. Then they would return home the next day to pack for their new life in Buenos Aires.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a week since they had landed at Ezeiza International Airport along with the 23 others that were accompanying them on their trip of a lifetime on the Beautiful Buenos Aires and the Iguazu Falls tour. Handing the forged Passport over was a heart in the mouth moment for Clarice both in Washington and here in Argentina. The document was pristine, her knowledge of the life of Mr & Mrs Novak as solid as it would ever be, she saw not the slightest flaw in any of it but she still felt a pang of fear in case she was called into question by the people scrutinising it.

Should the worst have happened it was agreed the Doctor would wait in line two to three people behind her, any trouble meaning he could hang back before putting his own documents through. In the worst case scenario, if she was detained he could simply back off from the line, leave the Airport and disappear completely. He had two other aliases he could use should the Novak one be compromised and although assured with the quality of the documents and past experience that all would be well he was never completely off his guard. 

As was always was the way with the pair of them should Clarice get into the authorities hands she knew how to contact him once free. A personal ad placed on the last Sunday of the month in the New York Post Newspaper but this time the message would not be to A A Aron, then FBI knew of that one, it would be a message for an Uncle Jessie and the first line would read, lost sheep to Shepherd, come in. He would message the box number with a new mobile phone number for himself and then they could reunite. The name Jessie and the words used were a line from a programme in the 70s that Clarice had watched called the Dukes Of Hazard, the Doctor had to confess he had never heard of it but if she was happy then that was fine by him. He would lay low in the US and wait for her, no matter how long it took.

The process at the Airport however in the end was smooth, no one questioned anything and they boarded the Delta Airlines plane bound for Buenos Aires in a much more relaxed state after treating themselves to a brandy at one of the Airports Bars. They had also browsed a bookstore so they each had a novel to pass the time and braced themselves for the long journey ahead.

They rejoined the group they were travelling with whilst going through customs, made casual and polite conversation with the others in the baggage hall and for the first twenty four hours they duly towed the line. They boarded the pre booked coach to the Palermo Bridge Hotel, struggled to attend the “welcome” meeting that evening. Everyone trying very hard to be polite despite the thirteen hours slog of a flight and fighting jet lag while their over enthusiastic tour guide Leon threw a barrage of information at them regarding their itinerary for the next fourteen days. He covered every smallest detail, even what insect repellent he used while here as well as what was expected in the way of tips to various people they would come across during their travels around the area. Leaflets were then handed out with information on activities in and around the city that they could enjoy in their free time along with their itineraries for the excursions that were part of the tour. After all of that the weary travellers departed to their rooms for the rest of the evening to relax and unpack before dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.

They mingled with the group the next day on a walking tour of the city coupled with a visit to some churches of historical interest then returned to the hotel that evening and prepared to make their escape.

The next day It was a great shock to Leon and the rest of the group when they were informed by way of a note left at reception that unfortunately an unexpected family death back in the United States had meant Mr & Mrs Novak, who had been so looking forward to this trip and getting to know them all had unfortunately had to leave them and return home. They were already headed back to the Airport as by a stroke of luck they had managed to book a flight which left at noon that very day. So it was with regret that they had not been able to meet at breakfast this morning to bid everyone farewell in person as it was an hours drive to Ezeiza from the city and then they needed to allow for the two hour check in window before departure which meant staying until 9am for the breakfast meet-up had simply been impossible. 

Our couple had indeed left the Palermo Bridge early and yes, they had booked a taxi alright but not to take them to the airport. Theirs was a more local trip, across town to the Retiro District of the city and straight to the check in desk to collect the keys for their suite at the Four Seasons Hotel. This would be there base now until permanent accommodation in the city or local area could be found to their liking.

The suite they had was in the Elegant Baroque section of the Hotel which boasted every amenity that would be expected from one of the most opulent Hotels in town. During their stay the Doctor busied himself contacting Agents in the city that could provide suitable properties to look at with a view to leasing or possibly for the right property, purchasing outright.

The Doctor knew exactly what he was looking for, nothing new for a start. His interests were pre 1900 and as private as you could possibly get within a city location. He and Clarice were sure they did not want to be in the wilderness, he wanted to be in the middle of where it was happening, where the population was plentiful and busy so that their presence would not attract too much if any attention. As he had explained to Clarice, hiding in plain sight was relatively easy provided you were discreet. He knew through past experience living in Italy and Switzerland it was certainly not impossible to do. The only mistake he had made in Florence was taking the job of the Curator which drew the attention of Pazzi, his endless questions and later suspicion. Had he never taken the post he felt sure he would still be there now in the midst of the beautiful city quietly going about his business as he always had done. Employment had been a mistake in Florence and it was not an error he would make again, certainly not here. His focus now was enjoying life with Clarice and putting all of his efforts for once into being normal and happy or at least as much as a man like him could.

And part of being happy for them both was having a nice home to retire to at the end of the day, to escape from the world outside. All of the specifications required for their first home together had been noted and contact details left with Sotherby’s, Realty Argentina and HQ Realty.  
The Novak’s submitted their personal details to these Agencies within days of there arrival so credit checks could been made and references approved by all three to speed the process along when one of them finally came up with a property that they wanted. 

All they had to do now was find something. The Doctor had done his research and had learned that these were more than likely to be the best three property Agents in the city to find them what they wanted in the shortest space of time, so they placed themselves in there hands and waited.

Living at the Hotel was fine - for a while. Clarice seemed undisturbed by it, enjoying the Butler Service, the use of the heated outdoor pool, fitness centre as well treatments at the Spa. She was fully embracing taking better care of herself these days and it pleased him greatly to see her relaxed and enjoying such things after the stress she had been under this time last year as her once beloved career had nosedived out of control. That coupled with the baggage of childhood abandonment and trauma weighing her down would have effectively bought her close to breakdown had he not stepped in, in his opinion.

He felt pleased with the work he had done with her, that they had both done to bring themselves to this point but it was him right now that was beginning to feel troubled and worst of all, the feeling he really could not stand....confined.  
Yes they could go out, but going out meant one thing, eventually having to come back here. He detested living out of a suitcase, the sterile environment of a hotel, having to eat only what was on the restaurant menu and not of his choice for their evening meal. As delicious as the food here was he missed shopping for ingredients, choosing the best cuts of meat, the simpler things like preparing and cooking a meal for them himself. 

Most of all he missed his books, his Harpsichord and Theremin that he felt he was becoming most accomplished at. He had been without these things a month now, they were packed off three weeks before they left the Chesapeake to tie in with shipping dates and now languished in a storage facility near the Harbour waiting to be collected once accommodation had been found.

Clarice had noticed his low mood at times and suggested joining her swimming, or using the Hot tub next door to the pool to pass some time. All of this sounded lovely in theory but meant him sharing personal space and water with god knows who else, a thought he found quite disgusting. Not to put her off from doing something she clearly enjoyed he had politely declined simply citing that such things did not interest him really and instead indulged himself in his Memory Palace while she was out and about the Hotel enjoying these pursuits. The rest of the time was spent walking, acquainting themselves with the new City they were living in and waiting for the Agent to call.

Whilst the City has an abundance of properties from all eras it seemed that at this particular time what they had to offer was not what the Dr ordered. Anything they did offer on inspection was too small, too modern, too overlooked. One they saw practically in complete need of renovation by builders so completely unsuitable.

After a another week had passed both of them wondered whether they should perhaps consider a property not so central, maybe on the outskirts of the city, maybe that would find them what they wanted. The Agents agreed and extended the search.

Early on the Monday morning of the 3rd week at the Hotel the Doctors mobile phone rang out loud and clear breaking the content silence of their bedroom as they peacefully slept entwined. 

Waking with a start the Doctor, voice groggy and disoriented from the unexpected awakening took the call. Clarice stirred and sat upright as the Doctor suddenly got out of bed and walked through to the desk in the suites sitting room. He reached for a pen and paper, hurriedly jotting down information the caller on the other end of the phone seemed to be telling him. He himself said very little during the call, a hum of agreement here and there. Then as Clarice joined him she was relived to see a smile as he ended the call agreeing that they would meet whoever it was he was talking to within the next two hours.

He gripped the sheet of paper tight in his hand, looked Clarice straight in the eye and triumphantly said, Realty Argentina have come good for us, it looks like they have large 5 bedroomed house that has come up for lease this morning around the corner from here on the Avenue Alvear, they are giving us first refusal.  
It is a three story property he went on, with basement and cellar, private rear garden which is unusual to find in such a location. I have agreed that we shall view it later this morning and will meet the Agent there at 11am, it is called Mansion Maguire.....

Due to the close proximity of the house from the Hotel they showered, dressed casual but smart as Buenos Aires commands then sat and had butler service deliver a continental style breakfast with Brazilian coffee, a particular favourite of the Doctors until the time approached for them to leave and meet the Agent.

As they walked along the Avenue Alvear with its impressive large houses of mixed eras, the larger Victorian houses stood out. Many looked like they had been converted into apartments and hotels. Some had been procured and adapted into buildings for Embassies. The most strikingly beautiful of them all in Clarices opinion was the French Embassy that looked like it had been airlifted from Paris itself so Parisian was its appearance with tall shuttered windows and imposing architecture.  
As they strolled along Clarice had also only just got used to the fact that when they left America they were in the height of summer, yet here it was spring again. The many blossom trees along the Avenue heavy with pink and white flowers, which gave off the most beautiful and delicate scent.

As they rounded a corner after a solid fifteen minutes of walking she spotted the Agent, clipboard in hand in front of what she immediately thought of as the infamous Marsten House from Stephen Kings Salem’s Lot. She stopped in her tracks pulling the Doctor to a standstill as well. The house, built in 1868 by a Scottish Railway Magnate by the name of John Hume was at that time known locally as The Hume Palace due to its grandeur was now a shadow of its former self.

The tall iron railings were coated with rust and decay, large Palm trees had gone wild and out of shape lining the front of the building and main entrance. Clarice also saw an imposing flight of steps made of what looked like pale marble, depressed and worn down in the middle by more than one hundred and thirty years worth of family and visitors that must have come and gone over the years. 

There were three floors that she could see at a glance from the Avenue. The second floor had a double terrace and large double glass doors that opened out onto them. Its once pristine cream and terracotta brickwork now as worn, dirty and dishevelled as the rest of the house.  
The large shuttered Victorian wooden windows whose paint had faded and begun to peel in the hot sun, also caught her eye, what could have happened here to let such a beautiful house fall into such a state of disrepair and if this was what the outside was like what about inside?  
Suddenly she felt shocked that the Doctor had even bought them here, surely the Agent would have appraised him in advance of its state.  
If she had ever had a doubt that he was mad, and she hadn’t, not once but she was certainly considering it now.

She was just about to say, let’s turn around I don’t like the look of it when the Agent looked up from her clipboard of notes and on recognising them raised her hand in a wave and said, ah welcome, thank you for coming and stepped forward to shake their hands.  
She was all smiles as she dug her shoulder into the 12ft Iron gate and pressed her weight against it simply to get it to open which it did, slowly with groan only the dying make. She cheerily mounted the steps, produced the biggest wrought Iron bunch of keys Clarice had ever seen and with some trepidation, in they went.

The heavy front door opened with a loud creak directly onto the first floor and into the hallway. The Agent then began to tell the history of the current owners family.  
In 1910 the Mansion came into ownership of the Maguire family, this family mixed with the elite of the City at that time and the house was indeed considered one of the best in the City, probably even the whole of Argentina at that time.  
Over the years the family had lost money through poor investment choices, certain family members that had never had to work a day in their lives haemorrhaging what was left by simply leading a champagne lifestyle on lemonade money.  
The only original family member left, Rachel Lavaconi and by now elderly and recently widowed had decided to join her only daughters family in Dubai to live out her remaining years and finally leave the residence she had spent all of her life living in.

At first it was felt she may sell explained the Agent as they stood in the dark imposing hallway but she has refused. The Government have shown an interest in the place and she is worried they will buy it under a compulsory purchase order which they are allowed to do if she ever puts it on the market. They already see it as National Monument you see and well, Mrs Lavaconi still wishes it to be used as a private residence, the home it is meant to be as she sees it. So we have been instructed to offer the property initially on a long term lease of five years. It seems to be a given that she has no interest in returning at this moment so we have no worry that the lease would renew again after five years, if you were happy here of course she said searching their faces for any kind of impression they may have already formed of the place.  
The Doctor looked impassive as usual, Clarice looked slightly concerned as she tried not to breathe in too deeply to avoid taking in too much of the stale air by placing a handkerchief over her mouth that the Doctor had tactfully placed into her hand.  
It was simply the smell of a place that had not been aired, it screamed for someone to throw open the blinds and shutters and windows wide to let fresh air in. When that had last happened was hard to say but she was interested to see more and willing to give the place a fair chance. Despite its tiredness it was beautiful, achingly beautiful with all its original features and period decor, there was no escaping that.  
Shall we start in the basement said the Agent and from there we can make our way up through the kitchen which is on the ground floor, then onto the upper floors if you are both in agreement with that of course.  
With equal nods of consent from both of them, down to the kitchen and basement they went.

Some 90 minutes later and the Agent now pacing around the faded yellow and blue mosaic tiled floor in the hallway checking her watch debating on whether to reschedule her next appointment, Clarice and the Doctor up on the 3rd floor both stood in silence. They were in deep thought looking out of one of the tall rear bedroom windows into the shaded and overgrown garden below. Due to the age and height of trees there it was indeed completely enclosed and private from the properties that surrounded it, it was perfect. 

Neither had really spoken as they looked around firstly with the Agent then twice again on there own, as they were now.  
Inside the house was musty, dusty, in need of a thoroughly good clean. Any light that could filter in through the shutters highlighted the dust in the air, like white flecks twisting and turning in the sunlights rays. These rooms were coming back to life in their presence and imagination of what life here could be like in their minds eye.  
Some had not seen a living soul in some of them for years by the look of it. Dust webs adorned the grand iron and porcelain light fittings, mirrors that had been left hanging, dull and lifeless due to a lack of polish. This was pretty much what the interior was like but unlike the crumbling front, inside was pretty solid. The electricity was on and seemed to work along with the oil fired heating system which they had asked to test out as it may well be spring now and warm enough but winters here could notoriously harsh and they needed to be prepared were they to take this place on.

Clarice had already fallen for the lovely drawing room on floor two with its grand wrought iron and marble fireplace and those lovely sets of double doors leading to the terraces out front overlooking the Avenue.  
She imagined them there, she in front of the fire on a sumptuous sofa reading a magazine while the Doctor sat at his Harpsichord playing for them both. Candelabras would adorn the room, there candles giving off there gentle soft light throwing shadows around the room, something they both missed and loved.

The Doctor himself also had similar thoughts and truth be known was as in love with the place as he hoped she was, but he had to be sure. To take this on without her full commitment to the place would be selfish and vulgar, to simply expect her to put up with it for his sake most unsatisfactory. If she could not be happy here he would walk away from it simple as that. And so turning to her and taking both of her hands in his own he studied her gaze knowing that honesty was the only answer he would ever get when he asked her.  
Do you feel it he asked softly?,  
Yes I do she responded instantaneously, do you ?  
As they studied each others face it felt like they were practically reading each other’s minds, so attuned to one another were they now and they both said in perfect unison one word - home.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been just over a week since they had moved into the Residence Maguire and by now mid August. Clarice and the Doctor had been arranging for the stored furnishings from the Chesapeake house to be delivered and busier still shopping for furniture at local high end auction houses looking for period pieces to compliment the property such as tables, chairs and other furniture required to make a house a home.

One indulgence the Doctor saw at what he felt was a fair price was a Steinway Grand Piano which he procured in one of the many antiques stores in the city and announced that it would take pride of place in the large main drawing room on the second floor. The Harpsichord would be situated in a private more intimate room they had earmarked for themselves on the third floor along with two sofas and smaller dining table and chairs for them both. 

During discussions on how to best appoint the house it was felt that the second floor would be for socialising or people that may call wishing to speak to them for whatever reason along with another room on the same floor turned over to becoming a study come library room for the Doctor.  
Both felt that to some degree a small number of staff would be required so that in time they could both fully indulge their own particular interests without the bind of everyday household chores around there necks, facilities for any staff would be based on the ground floor.

It was with this in mind that they both decided that the third floor as well as being the floor that their bedroom, dressing room and bathroom were on should also become there bolt hole/sanctuary. It was certainly large enough with three rooms on that floor still not in use. They chose the largest room at the front for their private sitting and dining room which also had double doors opening onto a smaller terrace. This would be somewhere to retreat to and have privacy while the staff were about their business in the rest of the house and a place where they could talk openly without fear of being overheard. Clarice and the Doctor were well aware that English was the second most spoken language in Argentina, taught in every school so they must be careful who overheard them whether they conversed in Spanish or English. 

The Agent who leased the property to them had kindly passed them details of an Agency that supplied Private staff to some of the most affluent homes and families in Argentina which boasted impeccably skilled staff that came with only the best references.

In between various shopping trips they had so far seen five people to fill the vacancies of domestic assistant, cook, gardener and chauffeur. This afternoon they were interviewing a mature couple in their 50s by the name of Senor & Senora Garcia. They were looking for a new position due to their last employer changing jobs and the family had now moved away to Paraguay. The Garcia’s had not wished to accompany them even though the offer had been made, preferring to stay and work in the city they had called home together for more than 30 years.

Immediately Clarice liked the couple, they were smart, well spoken and had a friendly yet professional air about them. Mrs Garcia’s field of expertise lay in Housekeeping and basic cooking while Mr Garcia was a professional Chauffeur.

After nearly an hour of chatting about what would be expected of them if they took the posts plus an extensive walk around the house it was Mr Garcia who picked up on the Doctor mentioning about still requiring someone to tidy up and maintain the garden at the rear.  
If I could presume Senor Novak, I actually have a keen interest in horticulture, my mother always enjoyed gardening at my families home in Santa Cruz. As my duties as Chauffeur are only required in the afternoons and evening I would be more than happy to take on the garden during the mornings he offered.

So with agreement all round the vacancies were filled by Senor Benjamin & Senora Sofia Garcia. The rules of engagement were also drawn up and agreed upon and a pre drafted contract of employment produced for them to sign.

The Garcia’s would work Monday to Friday, 8am/8pm with weekends off unless on the odd occasion a social function would require Mr Garcia as the Chauffeur. 

There was also the strictest rule of all, that the third floor was not to be accessed for cleaning or anything else until noon each day and no longer after the first course at dinner was served at 7.30pm. The rest of the meal would be sent up via the dumb waiter before the Garcia’s left at 8pm.

The house like many other grand Victorian properties had the traditional dumb waiter cupboard. A tray pulley system which was loaded in the kitchen with food and drinks then carried to the various floors once the person in the kitchen pulled on a sturdy rope on the left to elevate the tray, then another pulley rope on the right to bring it down again..  
This saved staff staggering up and down the stairs with heavy trays, it gave a little ring on a bell in the kitchen as it passed each floor At 11.30 each day a continental breakfast and coffee would be sent up to the 3rd floor and nothing more until dinner that evening allowing Mrs Garcia to carry on with the rest of the household duties in the meantime.

The Doctor kept a respectful distance from them both during the interview letting Clarice do most of the talking. She was more chatty and relaxed with people, in fact she was just better at being sociable all round with these kinds of people than he could ever hope to be.  
The most he had said to either of the Garcia’s was when he had discussed with Mrs Garcia what he expected from her cooking skills. Decent quality produce bought from shops he had sourced himself in the city were the ones she was instructed to use in which to provide a decent three course meal each evening. Nothing too fancy for weekdays just well prepared good quality food. 

He himself would indulge his love of cooking and would make the gourmet foods he and Clarice so enjoyed himself at the weekend when they had the house completely to themselves and would not have Mrs Garcia hovering over his shoulder while he was trying to work. As much as the kitchen was his like the rest of the house, in a way it was hers too. This was her place of work and no matter which way you looked at it two cooks in a kitchen never worked and he had no intention of finding out.

After the final details had been ironed out with refreshments served on the patio table under the verandah at the rear of the house, the Garcia’s left excited to be starting this new chapter of their lives with the Novaks the following week.

As the couple were observed walking off down the Avenue, the Doctor turned to Clarice with sigh and perplexed look on his face.  
What on Earth is wrong asked Clarice, I thought you were happy with them?  
Oh I am, believe me I am, it’s just his name, it’s one of those that seems to haunt me.  
Clarice for a moment had completely lost where he was coming from with this and it was now her turn to look perplexed.  
I still don’t follow you dear. I can honestly say you have lost me with that one, what’s so odd about being called Benjamin Garcia?  
BENJAMIN, said the Doctor loudly and frustrated at her not getting his attempt at humour, that bloody awful Floutist, Raspail!!  
In a mock huff he strode off up the stairs announcing he was going to practice more with his Theramin and would be down later after she had got back from her late afternoon run.  
Ever sharp and quick with a comeback these days Clarice retorted just as loudly, could have been worse.....  
How do you work that out the Doctor shouted dryly now at the top of the stairs.  
Well he could have been called Will or Graham......

The Doctor let out a dramatic loud sigh followed by a grimace as he closed his study door behind him.  
Anyone else he thought talking to me like that, mentioning him of all people....anyone else, he cracked his knuckles in anger at the mention of his name.

Will Graham. The tramp like upstart representing the FBI, reeking of Old Spice aftershave. The man that had taken his liberty, that had effectively stolen eight years of his life and delivered him into the hands of his tormentor Chilton.

Now, to say Will Graham had handed him to Frederick Chilton was in fact not true. Graham called the Marshalls fair enough but where the Doctor ended up after that was nothing to do with him, but right now caught up in bitterness and hatred it suited him at this moment to think that.

The anger within in subsided momentarily as he recalled Chiltons final hours, a small consolation for the years he had been forced to spend with him as his overseer.  
He recalled from his Memory Palace the look of horror as Chilton opened his holiday bungalow door expecting anyone but Dr Lecter to be on the other side of it.  
Chilton had had protection whilst in the US but seemed to feel in his infinite wisdom or lack of it, that he would be safe abroad so alone on holiday he went - big mistake.  
As soon as the door to his holiday cottage opened the Doctor kicked it wide with his boot out of Chiltons hand and was swiftly upon him covering his mouth with a chloroformed cloth before he could utter a sound.

The Doctor then stripped him and bound his wrists together and placed a square of tape over his mouth. Only then did he administer smelling salts under his nose to wake him, get him upright and into the boot of his hire car, along with a refuse sack of Chiltons clothes that he had stripped and cut from his body whilst unconscious including the ridiculous pair of flip flops the fool had been wearing.

From there they drove to a remote part of the island where the Doctor cut Chiltons bonds, helped him out of the boot now at gunpoint and instructed him to reach into the boot and retrieve the shovel the Doctor had also placed in there earlier.  
Still with the tape covering his mouth the Doctor handed him back his flip flops from the refuse sack then instructed him to dig. 

Suddenly Chilton ripped the tape from his own mouth and more in desperation than courage, asked what would happen if he refused.  
Well said the Doctor feigning have to think about it. First I will reproduce my lovely Harpy here that I cut your bonds with, bind your arms to your body with more rope and shall remove a finger at a time. Then your toes and then, well if you still are not complying anything else I can think of he said menacingly staring at Chiltons groin area passing the Harpy from one hand to another. So be a good chap now and get digging.

Torture had never been something the Doctor had been into. Yes he fooled around with whimsy, arranging the corpses this way and that for his own entertainment once he had taken what he wanted from them but that was as far as he had gone.  
Many said he had tortured Mason Verger but he himself did not see it like that. He had incapacitated Verger so Margot could follow the advice he had given her during their therapy sessions and find catharsis by killing him herself. The mutilation was simply the Doctors retribution for all the pain that Verger had inflicted upon the innocent, the ones not strong enough to fight back.

He had stripped Chilton not to torture him but to humiliate him, as he had done to the Doctor so many times before. A good thirty minutes later and after the Doctor had kept Chiltons spirits up while he was wearily digging by reminding him of all the times they had shared together and the many reasons the Doctor had felt the need to bring him here, he walked around and up behind him, very slowly and carefully should Chilton suddenly decide to grapple for the gun. 

Chilton was a coward but the Doctor knew full well that under severe stress even the mildest mannered people had been known to act in an erratic manner out of desperation, the fight or flight instinct in all of us.  
Drop the shovel now instructed the Doctor, just by your side if you please not in the hole.  
Chilton did as he was told, all the fight seeming to be knocked out of him by the labouring he had been forced to do in the late evenings heat.  
He felt the Doctor now behind him the gun against the middle of his back and began to plead, offering money, his car, profuse apologies for any misunderstandings they had had in the past as he put it.

The Doctor said nothing, making Chilton believe he was actually weighing the issue before he dropped the gun to the ground seized a clump of hair on the back of Chiltons head and with a death grip snapped his head backwards whilst with the other hand he swiftly cut his throat, not a drop of blood even soiled his hand so clean was the blow.  
He returned now to the back of the car and removed a cool box with another large plastic lidded container inside and proceeded to harvest what cuts he wanted from the late Dr Chilton then simply rolled the corpse into the hole. This was swiftly followed by his rubbish sack of Chiltons clothes. The Doctor then filled the hole in covering the freshly dug ground with wild scrub and retreated back to his own holiday bungalow in the next town to enjoy a late dinner and pack for the Airport and his flight onto Rio the next morning.

Bitterness and hatred he mused back in the present. The two things that until not so long ago had dogged his everyday life until he had found happiness more recently with Clarice.

These days he tried very hard not to focus on the past, on things and memories that haunted him. It was hard, harder some days than others but things were slowly improving. He still from time to time had bad dreams always featuring Mischa and would out of no where at times suffer a flashback triggered by random things such as a certain smell, a type of sound, mostly young children crying or in distress.  
He had never desired children at all thinking them a nuisance, always wanting something and complaining but in reality he had come to realise it was none of these things.  
He feared them, their distress and the sounds that came from them on such occasions. Fear of any harm coming to them, he shied away from it as Clarice had shied away from any forms of torture or distress herself for most of her life, finding the thoughts unbearable at times, as he did.

And when such incidents as the dreams and flashbacks occurred, she was there for him, talking him down, calming him, helping him, holding him. Something he had never let anyone do in all his adult life and he had been surprised at first how comforting he found it. 

She was indeed helping him as he was helping her. One wonderful idea she had come up with was freeing Mischa from the confines of his mind and Memory Palace where she had been locked for the last 50 years. To consider reintroducing her to the world not only through himself openly talking about her and making a place for her within himself, but taking things a step further by openly presenting her to the world as well.

The suggestion was to draw her. Not as he had always done, tearful, dishevelled, but as she had been in life, in happier times and have the drawing on display, like you would any family photo. Clarice had wanted her involved in their everyday life and felt that having an image of her to see each day would be a wonderful sight and further help her to understand Mischa, to see what she actually looked like and put a face to her name.

The Doctor set to work and over the course of an afternoon produced a head and shoulders portrait of Mischa with his Charcoal pencils, capturing every detail of her as best he could remember. It was harder than he thought. Every crystal clear memory of her was of her being terribly unwell at the end, her anguish and pain. To remember her any other way had been a challenge after so long.  
Once finished and satisfied with the outcome it was framed and sat in the drawing room on a half moon mahogany table between the two terrace doors with a vase of fresh flowers beside her.

In this portrait Clarice saw a young child, just emerging out of toddlerhood smiling broadly with shoulder length hair combed away out of her eyes to the side, held there with a small hair clip with a bow on top of it.  
The portrait was so life like that it was like the Mona Lisa whose eyes follow you around the gallery wherever you go.  
This was the same, wherever you went in the room her smiling and content eyes followed you, it was wonderful to see her like this and bought a lot of comfort to them both.

He struggled now to comprehend how he would ever cope without Clarice. The risks of falling back into his old way were always a concern and she did help keep him on the right path. For her he had a reason to try, something that was certainly lacking before, someone to offload to if he ever felt things were getting too much. This occured mostly when out and about in social situations, dealing with the general public was one he hated and could easily begin to wind him up due to the many uncouth and rude individuals out there. Clarice defused these situations, calmed him, distracted him.

This ability to find calm and peace for once in life for them both was something to be treasured, to be preserved and while neither were openly looking for trouble, if trouble came looking for them there was no doubt in his mind he would deal with it.

With an air of calm washing over him and composure restored his anger dissipated now and smiling he sat at his desk, plugged in the Theramin and amp and began to play.

So everyone was settled and life in the city began.

The Garcia’s quickly found a routine. Senor Garcia worked in the garden in the mornings while the weather was cooler and changed into his Chauffers suit and tie after lunch to be on hand as the Novaks required him.

Clarice had found a lovely Park in which to run each day called Rosedal in the Palermo district of town. She had discovered it by picking up leaflets from the tourist information kiosk as she discovered that while running in the streets in America acceptable, here it was not. People dressed smart and no one but uncouth youths walked around in sports wear, it was just not done.

However here at Rosedal it was accepted that anyone wishing to jog, cycle or go for a stroll was most welcome, even roller blading. A Mecca for Jogging worshippers like herself and they were there in abundance from 5pm onwards once the heat had died down enjoying the sights and smells of the thousands of roses planted there as well as the stunning landscaped scenery as they took their daily exercise.  
Clarice always joined the crowd jogging around the beautiful lake in the centre of the park where pedal boats could be hired and small cafes were dotted here and there if you wanted to sit and take refreshment or grab a bottle of water on the go.

It was arranged that each day Senor Garcia would drive her there at 5pm wait at one of the cafes or in the car depending on how he felt. Often he would just sit in the car listening to a CD or he might grab a coffee. Senora Novak generally took an hour so it was nice to be somewhere where he could relax while he waited and have something to do.

Other driving jobs Garcia regularly had were taking Senor Novak to the Bernardino Rivadavia Museum Of Natural Science. He tended to go there once a week and could be anything from thirty minutes to thee hours depending on what he was looking for. Sometimes the Senora accompanied him as she particularly enjoyed viewing the Aquarium which was also there while he looked at the “other stuff” he had overheard her so eloquently put it on one trip.

Another favourite of the Senor was the Planetario Galileo Galilei just across the road. For a retired Archaeologist he certainly did seem to enjoy the sciences Garcia had privately observed.

During these trips with the Senor he quickly realised that he wished for nothing but a professional relationship. He never passed the time of day, a lot of the time he simply looked out of the window, remote and lost in thought, or so it seemed. 

His manners however were impeccable. Wherever they went he greeted him cordially and always thanked him once back home before disappearing into the house. With some he had driven for in the past he was lucky to get a grunt most days so did appreciate the Senors effort in that respect.

The Senora however was different, on there daily trips to the park she was always full of smiles, happy to chat about current affairs, plans for the weekend. She seemed very different in character to him and both Garcia and his wife had at times wondered what it was they actually had in common, although you could always see a genuine affection there and they were very tactile with each other, that much you could say about them if not much else.  
Another thing he did notice was that anything Senora wanted she got either in her hands in the form of shopping bags during their daily walks into the city centre via the many Museums & galleries they enjoyed visiting, or for bigger items such as gym equipment for the basement. It was never long before a delivery van turned up.

Mind you he was more than generous with himself too. Often Garcia would get a call requesting shopping to be collected from here there and everywhere for him from gentleman’s outfitters to antique shops, to suppliers of fine wines. 

A favourite haunt for both of them was El Ateneo, a baroque style theatre in its heyday of the 1920s but more recently converted to one of the most prestigious bookstores in Buenos Aires. Often the Senor would be stood outside waiting for the car with an assistant beside him desperately weighed down with a large bag of books that had been purchased.  
Yes, one other thing you could most definitely say about this couple was that they did not deny themselves anything or so it seemed.

By now it was December and summer was in full swing. During one of there trips to the park Senor Garcia had mentioned that it was Sofia’s birthday and that they were looking forward to eating out later when their shift had finished. Without warning on the way home the Senora made him pull in at a florist and purchased flowers for her, to wish her a happy birthday from both of them. Once home she strode into the kitchen with the bouquet, kissed her on both cheeks as was Argentine custom and said she hoped that they would both have lovely evening.

That had never happened in 25 years of service, and that was what made her different. She looked after them, appreciated the work they did and made sure they knew it, either with a smile or a thank you. She was basically in his opinion just a lovely straightforward woman to work for, no hares and graces about her despite their obvious wealth and it was most refreshing.

So with Christmas only a week away now everything was perfect, everyone was happy with their lot.

What could possibly go wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

As Clarice stood in the drawing room on top of a step ladder putting the final touches to the Christmas Tree, she could not help but keep pausing and drawing in the lovely and unique smell that comes with a fresh Pine tree.

Traditionally in Argentina the tree is put up on December 8th to coincide with the Feast Of The Immaculate Concepcion in keeping with the Catholic faith. There’s was late due to delivery problems of the fresh pine tree from its supplier but it was here now and up it went.

Regardless of your faith it is the signal to all that Christmas is coming and that preparations were being made for the 24th, the day here that the celebrations really begin. This is the day presents are exchanged and Clarice and the Doctor were very much looking forward to walking out at midnight down to the harbour to watch what was being billed everywhere they went as probably the best Firework Display the world had ever seen.  
This was traditional in Argentina every Christmas Eve and as they were trying their best to fit in, more so that they didn’t stand out, they were prepared to give this event a look and join in with the celebrations.

It seemed so odd standing here on December 23rd decorating this tree in this grand old house whist every window in the place was flung open. Freestanding fans whirred in front of the fireplace battling desperately against the 40 degree celsius heat outside. The only good thing if you didn’t care for the heat was that by late afternoon and evening as the sun went down it did get considerably cooler with welcome breeze coming over the City from the nearby River Plate. It certainly made sleeping easier that was for sure and meant that she still did not have to give up her runs at Rosedal, by 5pm it usually was most pleasant.

As usual though around this time in the early afternoon on a weekday there was the usual gaggle of voices from outside on the Avenue as the local walking city tour guide told this afternoon’s patrons all about the Residence Maguires long history while the tourists directed their zoom lens cameras onto the house to snap pictures of the iconic building. After the tour they would be herded round the corner after seeing a few more buildings of interest on the Avenue Alvear to the Cafe La Biela for much needed refreshment.

As much as Clarice loved it here she did wonder if she would ever get used to her birthday being in a heatwave, Clarices birthday that was, her now secret birthday. Kim’s birthday was in mid April which would take some getting used to, the Doctor had of course made light of it citing that now she could be just like the Queen Of England who also had two birthdays. The Queen had her official birthday and private one, if that was good enough for her then it was certainly good enough for his Clarice.

When they awoke this morning he had said nothing about it, mind you when you think that this time last year on her 33rd birthday this was also the day that heralded the showdown at the Verger farm where they had both nearly been killed. I suppose with that in mind you couldn’t blame him for not wanting to remember.

Suddenly the drawing room door opened and there he was complimenting her on a job well done with the tree just as she finished placing the star at the top.

Kim he announced loudly as Sofia came in behind him pulling the vacuum cleaner ready to hoover up the pine needles, Just letting you know I am back from a few errands I had to run. Could I possibly have a word with you in my study please now that you are done here.

Thanking Sofia in advance for hoovering up and packing the decoration boxes away for her she followed the Doctor as he held the door open and off they went to his study.

Once there he caught her in an embrace and whispered in her ear, happy birthday darling. Next he delved into his trouser pocket and produced a small dark blue velvet pouch with a black drawstring.

Come, sit on my knee he gestured to his swivel chair behind his desk, open it up into your palm, but carefully mind.  
Clarice gently did so and held her empty palm steady as she tipped the small pouch upside down and waited to see what came out.

She gasped as into her hand fell 10 Emeralds which matched the ones her Cabachon earrings were made from, the ones that he had bought her last year for their dinner with Krendler.

Oh my these are beautiful, you really shouldn’t have.  
Yes I should he retorted, I did think of a necklace or bracelet but then the jeweller I got these from pointed out he does bespoke pieces so I thought it would be nice for you to have these and think about what you would like them to become.

Clarice weighed them gently up and down in her hand as she considered. I think a necklace, to compliment the earrings and maybe a ring she mused looking at them in her hand just once more before carefully placing them back in the pouch.  
Well until we can head back to the shop after Christmas we shall pop them in the safe under my desk and you can spend the rest of the afternoon wondering what you are going to wear out to your secret birthday dinner tonight.

Out for dinner tonight, where?. When was this arranged she teased wrapping her arms around his neck.  
Well being the hopeless romantic I am I booked us the private dining room at Cabernet. I know you love it there and I have to admit the chef makes the best fresh pasta I have ever had out side of Italy and you loved the pork tenderloin you had last time so I have booked the table for 8pm. Garcia is staying on later tonight to take us there and bring us home after so we can both enjoy a drink.

Oh Hannibal Lecter she whispered, you really are the most perfect, wonderful man in the whole wide world....  
Matter of factly and with a small shrug of the shoulders he’s replied...Well you my dear are as usual right in everything in my opinion so yes, I guess I am !

Later that evening as Garcia dropped the couple at Cabernet he would have normally returned to the house straight away and waited for the call to pick them up later. Tonight however he needed to call in at home. Where he and Sofia lived was pretty working class and while a decent neighbourhood he did not trust leaving the Mercedes Maybach outside his house for too long. In this part of town it stood out and he was worried in case anything should happen to it while he sat in his home without his eye on it for the next two hours or so waiting for the call to pick them up.

Popping home this evening had become a necessity for him, he had tried ringing Sofia on his mobile phone without success to remind her to video Worldwide True Crime stories at 10pm. It had been on each week now for 4 weeks on a rather obscure new satellite channel called Canal Del Crimen which focused on true crime peppered with the odd fictional drama somewhere in between and only aired from 10pm until 2am each day. The channel never seemed to draw huge viewing figures but he loved it and he was hooked. 

As a rule he preferred fictional crime drama, during the 80s he got into Miami Vice which was on an obscure cable channel and dubbed into Spanish back in the day. He had been attracted to programmes like that ever since but he saw a trailer for the first season of this and decided to give it a go.  
Each week it featured a notorious Serial Killer, some who had been caught, some never found, some caught then later escaped. It was edge of seat stuff for him and he thoroughly enjoyed it and was not prepared to miss it even if it did mean leaving the car out side for ten minutes unattended while he found a blank tape and set the timer.

So far they had been focusing on American Serial Killers in this seasons episodes. So far he had watched and learnt about the crimes of Ted Bundy, Jeffery Dahmer, The Zodiac Killer of San Francisco and Charles Manson. Tonight’s episode was of a killer known as The Chesapeake Ripper - a Doctor Hannibal Lecter who was suspected of killing up to 30 people so the short blurb in the Tv Guide had said. He had heard of him and recalled just over a year ago he had been in the news for more recent murders since he had escaped from prison years ago, but did not know that much about his background so was intrigued to learn more.

Finding Sofia in the bath, he quickly explained why he had come home and quickly got the car back to the mansion and waited in the kitchen fixing himself a coffee and smoothing out a newspaper to read and pass the time while he waited for the Senor to call.

This would be Garcia’s last job before their Christmas break. In Argentina it was traditional for staff to start their Christmas holiday on the 24th, so before Sofia had left to go home that afternoon the Senor and Senora had presented them with a fine bottle of Argentine Merlot and the Garcia’s had bought them a lovely pair of Apertif glasses to compliment their others in the drinks cabinet.  
Christmas Gifts exchanged and after Garcia had dropped them back home later that evening after the meal, Clarice and the Doctor again wished him a happy Christmas and looked forward to seeing them both again when they returned to work on the 27th.

Although Argentine tradition stated presents are to be opened on the 24th followed by the Christmas dinner, here in private they decided to open their gifts to each other on the 25th and The Doctor also made the traditional Christmas meal on that day too. Clarice helped with the prep and loading of the dishwasher and he directed Clarice on how to dress the table complete with candelabra in the hardly used dining room on the second floor which had the much bigger table and seating for 8 people.  
It was far too big but today was a special day, there first Christmas together as a couple so they decided it would be nice this once for the the two of them to put it to use.  
The Doctor had bought Clarice a camera with various lenses as she had begun to show an interest in photography and was even considering a course at one of the colleges in the city. He had plenty of interests of his own and he was pleased she had found something else she enjoyed and was very good at.

Clarice had focused on the Doctors love of weaponry, he was not into guns or shooting but he did like the more traditional hunting weapons.

He already had the Crossbow which had come in the storage from the Chesapeake. He had his Harpy and a few other Blades he was collecting as and when he spotted one that peaked his interest.  
She was most pleased to have found in an antiques store a traditional Argentine hunting knife called a Facon.  
The Facon is a duel fighting and utility knife, popular in the 1800s when guns in Argentina were illegal.  
This antique piece Clarice had found had a fourteen inch blade, with an elaborately decorated silver hilt inlaid with three rubies. The decorative sheath the blade came with was the same design as the hilt again with three rubies inlaid into it.

Both were very pleased with their gifts. Since being here they had been shopping for things daily from items for the house to things for themselves so had decided prior to Christmas to just exchange one gift each. Too much and just buying for the sake of it seemed vulgar and unnecessary.

It was such a lovely few days, having the house back to themselves was lovely too.  
They went out walking and Clarice tried the new camera out. The Doctor began to teach Clarice to play on the Piano and she helped him cook and all was peaceful. Little did they know that within the next 48 hours that peace would be shattered.


	5. Chapter 5

The 27th came and the Garcia’s returned to work, they had spent most of their days off using a hire car to visit family in Santa Cruz attending Mass and the days had simply flown by. Senor Garcia had not had any time to watch his pre recorded True Crime documentary and was hopeful that tonight after work he could settle down with his evening meal and at last enjoy his viewing.

During the course of the morning as he knelt at one of the flower beds weeding, he checked his watch, it read 11.30am He was slightly concerned that Sofia had not been out yet with him a coffee.  
She always normally put aside quarter of an hour for a break just after 11am to have a drink on the verandah with him and bring out his packed lunch before sending the Novaks their breakfast at 11.30am in the dumbwaiter to the 3rd floor.

He slipped off his working boots and went into the kitchen, no sign of her. The breakfast tray for upstairs half prepared sat on the side.  
He checked further and his worst fears were confirmed when he found her slumped over in the main hallway clutching her chest, her breathing shallow.  
She was conscious, just....he rushed to his jacket in the downstairs rest room for his mobile and dialled the emergency services who sprung into action.  
While he sat with her, reassuring her he realised that he would have to alert the Novaks. He called in vain up the stairs but they were too far away upon the third floor and never stood a chance of hearing him.  
Adrenaline pumping by now, he reassured Sofia that he was going up to find them and tell them but he would be back quickly.  
He opened the front door wide for the paramedics should they come while upstairs, he did not want them locked out, unable to get to her while he was raising the alarm with their employers.

He took the two flights of stairs to the third floor two at a time, sweating by the time he got to the smaller sitting room where the Senor and Senora were beginning to wonder where there breakfast had got to.  
Clarice had showered and dressed but the Doctor was in his robe with a towel around his neck after recently showering and drying off his wet hair.

The time they had in privacy on the third floor was lovely in many ways but it also served as a time that the Doctor could remove his blue contacts and rest his eyes. The optician had advised him to wear them for no longer than eight hours a day as overuse could damage the corneas of his eyes.  
He was reading a science journal, his half moon specs balanced on the end of his nose and simply stared in rage and horror as the sitting room door burst open and Garcia came running in and up to the table ranting on about Sofia being collapsed in the hallway and an ambulance on its way.

For what seemed like an eternity but in fact was seconds Garcia stopped in his tracks and stared at the Doctor. His normally greased back hair was wet through, a lock of dark hair stray across his forehead, but the thing that struck him was the Doctors eyes. They had turned dark like the night with flecks of red inside them giving them a maroon glow.  
He had only ever seen such eyes on images of the devil and was for a moment struck dumb to the spot.

The atmosphere was suddenly thick with the Doctors fury at this forbidden intrusion and Clarice quickly rose from her seat to stop the situation from escalating and ushered the panic stricken Garcia out of the room and down the stairs where they heard the siren of the ambulance approaching.

Many things happened next. Sofia was stabilised and stretchered out with her husband right behind her and Clarice quickly pressed a note with her personal mobile phone number into Garcia’s hand as he left and stressed upon him to call her as soon as there was any news as to what exactly had happened although to all concerned it seemed obvious.

He saw my eyes was all the Doctor said coming down the stairs, who had been watching events from the landing above as Clarice closed and locked the front door.  
Yes I know she replied, but we can explain it, I shall simply say you don’t like the colour of your eyes so chose tinted lenses, if he even asks which I don’t believe he will. He is too absorbed with worry for his wife so probably won’t even remember, don’t worry she said.  
Besides he is staff she continued, he knows his place and things like that are simply none of his business. I can guarantee he won’t mention it, go on, get dressed and I will fix us some breakfast.

After a few hours Garcia called Clarice and confirmed that Sofia had suffered a major heart attack but the hospital had managed to stabilise her and were working out a treatment plan to include surgery within the next few days when she was strong enough to endure the anaesthetic.

She wished them both well and stressed that he was to take as much time away as required and that they would both remain on full pay for however long this process took.

Later that day on reflection Clarice considered visiting Sofia. She in no way felt any responsibility for what had happened, in her mind these things happen and when she had given the woman the job as far as they all knew she was fit enough to carry it out. But she did feel obligated to at least check in with some flowers as the incident had happened in her home, and Sofia was their member of staff after all.

With the Doctors agreement she called Garcia’s mobile to check what ward she was on and was just as shocked by what he told her next than she had been at the news of Sofia slumped over in the hallway this morning.

By now it was 7pm and Clarice discovered that since late afternoon Garcia had in fact been at home as on travelling back to collect personal items for Sofia’s stay in the hospital, he had discovered the kitchen was well alight due to an electrical fire. it was only due to him returning when he did they had not lost the whole house and the fire services promptly arriving at the scene.

He explained that the kitchen was gutted, the rest of the house in tact but smoke damaged. He was trying to clean up as best he could and bag up Sofia’s night clothing to get it laundered somewhere that evening as everything stunk of smoke.

Clarice immediately said, give me your address we are coming over, collect what you need and we shall do the laundry here and you can stay in a spare bedroom here until we find you some other temporary accommodation tomorrow.

The Doctor looked bemused after the conversation ended and simply said, one night only and then we shall find him a hotel, as long as he understands that okay.

Clarice assured him he did and over to the Garcia residence they drove, the Doctor stayed in the car while Clarice went inside.  
What met her gaze was a sorry sight, the smell overpowering of smoke and wet soaked through timber from the fire hoses earlier.

This is very kind of you Senora said Garcia who looked emotionally wrecked.  
Whilst Clarice stood in the small hallway waiting he filled a case with things for Sophia to be laundered clean again plus other toiletries she would need.  
Then he got a large rucksack and filled it with his own clothing and personal items he would need. Clarice looked around and found it hard to say how long it would take to get this place right again but they could talk about that tomorrow.

So...she said tactfully checking her watch knowing that the Doctor would be keen to get home, have you got everything, is there anything else you want for yourself like books and so forth. Things to pass the time, all you seem to have here are clothes she said gesturing to the open rucksack.

Well actually now you come to mention it there are a few things I had recorded to watch on a video if that would be alright Senora, to take the tape with me. I tend to watch tv more than read you see he said almost apologetically.  
Of course that’s alright, none of the bedrooms have a tv in them but you are welcome to sit in the drawing room and use the one there.  
She felt uncomfortable offering their home in this way but due to his emotional state and terrible day he had had she didn’t feel she could refuse.  
She also knew once the Doctor found out she was letting him use their drawing room and tv that in private she would get a lecture from him about the pro’s and con’s later of over familiarity with ones staff.  
He walked into the small parlour at the front of the house and collected the video tape, popped it in the rucksack and picked a light jacket to wear from the coat rack.

As Clarice left the house to go back to the car she looked back as Garcia followed trying to make some lighthearted conversation more than anything.  
What is on the video tape then, what is it you want to catch up with??  
Oh he replied rather bashful now, it’s just a detective thing...I find them quite interesting.  
Well actually she said gesturing to the Doctor with a small wave to press the automatic trunk release on the car as they walked down the small garden path to the road, I quite like that sort of thing too. Maybe I might watch it with you if you don’t mind.  
Sure Senora said Garcia with surprise, no problem at all, I would be honoured.

With that they loaded the car up and made there way back to the Residence Maguire.

The rest of the evening was spent laundering the smoke damaged clothes and getting them into the drier. Garcia had seen to that himself and Clarice had shown him to the guest bedroom on the second floor across the landing from the drawing room that would be for his use tonight.

The next morning feeling much more refreshed Garcia rose early and spent the morning at his wife’s hospital bedside explaining that the Novaks were going to locate a cheap hotel for him to reside in until their home was restored and habitable again. It pained him to have to tell her about the fire but he knew he could never lie to her, she would have found him out in a second.

Both were overwhelmed with the generosity the Novaks had shown and he explained that he just needed to call back there this afternoon to collect his belongings, put the bedding he had slept on and the towels he had used into the laundry then find out where Senor Novak had booked the hotel they had insisted on paying for while their landlord carried out repairs to their home.

So just after 1pm Clarice found Garcia in the guest bedroom starting to pack up his rucksack and after enquiring after Sofias condition told him that at that moment the Senor was in his study arranging accommodation and that from the modest ones they had looked at it seemed that check in for most of them was after 4pm which left a few hours to kill so Clarice had an idea.

How about we watch that detective programme you have on your tape she suggested. Only if you want to that is she added not wanting him to feel she was ordering him around.  
It was just with 3 hours at most to spare until he could leave it seemed a logical way to pass some of the time rather than them all sitting there eventually running out of things to say. At least they could discuss the programme afterwards which again would pass the time.

Ahh yes of course he said, yes that would be a good distraction actually from all this upset he agreed massaging the tension from the back of his neck with his hands, I shall go and get it and see you in the drawing room then.

Clarice smiled, went and switched on the tv, sat back in an armchair and waited.

As the programme started It quickly became apparent there was a fault on the tape. All they could see were snowy images and the narrators voice was slurred to the point of not being able to understand a word he was saying, in short unwatchable.

Clarice could see the look of disappointment on Garcia’s face so trying to be helpful said let’s just fast forward on about 5/10 minutes and see if it was a fault on the tape. Anything like dust on the film can cause that she said with the remote controller in her hand and duly forwarded it on five minutes then tried again. This time the picture was crystal clear.

In utter disbelief at this “detective” programme as Garcia had put it the pair of them came face to face on screen with no other than her husband Ivan Novak. It was colour footage of a filmed therapy session at the Baltimore Hospital being held by Frederick Chilton, he was not facing the screen but Clarice recognised him, it was hard not too.  
Surgery had altered the Doctors face to a degree these days but they both knew anyone looking close enough who saw him on a regular basis would soon make the connection.

Dr Lecter was facing the screen in a straight jacket a lock of dark hair across his forehead. His piercing maroon eyes impassively staring straight ahead, sitting on a plastic chair being asked questions by Chilton.

The narrator was excitedly telling the viewers how Dr Lecter when being asked about his feelings about what he had done was showing all the signs of a pure Sociopath. The refusal to answer, the lack of empathy for all of the crimes the viewers were about to learn about in glorious technicolour. 

Garcia sat at first trying to fathom where he had seen those eyes and that face before, then he thought of Senor Novak at the breakfast table and sat as stunned as Clarice staring at the screen in disbelief.

Clarice was keeping a calm demeanour, focusing on the screen as she tried to think of a way to get the tv off. To try and stop him from watching anymore when in her peripheral vision she noticed him looking at her.  
As her gaze met his she knew in that moment that he knew, not a word was spoken - there was no need.

Clarice quickly sized up the situation. Here was a man several inches taller than her, heavier than her. There was no way unarmed she could take him on her own, she needed somehow to alert the Doctor who was down the hallway in his study.

She realised the only thing to do despite her concern at having to leave Garcia alone and able to flee was to play it cool, attempt to leave the room and gauge his reaction to it.

With a plan in mind she broke their gaze and simply said very calmly, rising from her chair. I think I shall just go to the kitchen and get a drink if you would excuse me, and with that she left the room and he had appeared to let her go.

Once the door was closed she rushed to the study almost slipping over in her socks on the polished wooden floorboards, flung open the door and shut it firmly behind her. 

She saw the Doctor in his chair looking out of the window, telephone in hand and ran around his side of the desk frantically seizing the receiver and slamming it down much to the shock of the Doctor.

He knows, Garcia knows who you are, who you really are she said in a low hiss.

In under 30 seconds Clarice had filled him in on events and awaited further instruction on what they should do.

The Doctor remained unruffled. He simply drew back his chair and said, well in that case, we had better go and have a word with Mr Garcia hadn’t we.

Clarice went ahead while the Doctor followed picking up the Facon blade from the sideboard as he went.

They both went straight to the drawing room where the video was still playing but could see from the doorway Garcia was gone.

Then behind them they heard the spare bedroom door he had been using open and he rushed out with his rucksack in his arms preparing to make a quick getaway.

He stopped dead in the bedroom doorway panic plastered all over his face and for a moment all three simply stared at each other like something out of a gunfight scene in an old western.

The Doctor broke the silence. 

I do hope you were not going to leave us Garcia without a proper goodbye that would be most rude. I have not even told you where your hotel is yet that I have been to the trouble of booking for you, why not come back to the drawing room and take a seat.  
He held the blade out of sight behind his back.

As the Doctor spoke Clarice had moved across the landing between them and positioned herself at the top of the stairs so Garcia could not pass, at least not without a struggle.

I know, i know who you really are...what you really are Garcia spluttered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Well yes I know all about that said the Doctor in a tiresome voice. My good wife has put me in the picture, no pun intended.  
It is unfortunate indeed and incredibly inconvenient as we were all getting on so well the Doctor sighed, and I do believe my wife here was growing particularly fond of you, but as the saying goes all good things must come to and end.

Garcia did not have any intention of staying any longer now and there was no way he was going back into that drawing room either so in knee jerk reaction he forcefully bundled up the rucksack in his arms and threw it as hard as he could straight at Clarice who was barring the stairs and the only way out of the house.

Clarice saw it coming and deflected the heavy rucksack with both hands held up in front of her. She fell against the landing wall with the force but managed to stay upright and regain her balance but as a result could not stop Garcia from barging past her.

He was halfway down the stairs screaming that the Doctor was a madman as the Doctor, still in the drawing room doorway ran forward and shouted “Clarice” to get her attention and threw the sheathed Facon blade to her and she caught it in deftly in one hand.

Once armed she withdrew the lethal blade tossing the sheath behind her as she thundered down the stairs to apprehend Garcia still shouting about the Doctor being a madman.  
He almost reached the bottom but nearly lost his footing on the last few steps which delayed him and due to her moving faster than him and above him now in height thanks to the stairs she was upon him like a leopard finally seizing its prey after a chase.

With his back still too her, the sounds of Garcia’s hysterical voice in her head calling the Doctor a madman, she saw his neck exposed and gripped the blade now in both hands and shouted herself now......

He isn’t .....but I am !!  
She raised the blade high above her head and plunged it forward into the back of Garcia’s neck severing his spinal cord with the impact and such force that the blade was embedded in him up to the hilt with the rest of the blade protruding out the front of his neck, resting under his chin.

Garcia made a final wet gargling sound as his knees buckled beneath him and he crumpled to the floor, like a puppet that had its strings cut.

Clarice stood over him now, hands on her hips feeling satisfied that she had taken him down, stopped him from taking away what was hers.  
As she stood looking at the pool of blood that was accumulating around his head on the yellow and blue mosaic hallway floor, the Doctor descended the stairs and stood behind her.

So she said, wiping her brow from the sudden exertion, did I do alright?  
You did fine said the Doctor. Better than fine in a proud tone as he checked Garcia’s pulse and vital signs to be sure he was dead.  
He smiled at her broadly as he place his foot on Garcia’s shoulder to get more leverage as he pulled the Blade from Garcia’s neck.

Due to the privacy of the garden it was decided that Garcia’s final resting place would be there and the two of them began the task of taking turns digging a hole some 8 feet deep which, including carrying him out and putting all the earth back took the rest of the day. Although summer in Buenos Aires, it was also known for being a very wet season so the ground was mostly forgiving and gave way easily as the shovel drove into it.

That was the end of Benjamin Garcia.

Clarice had liked him but when anyone threatened her happiness she now thought nothing of disposing of them. She felt nothing remorseful for what she had done, if the FBI caught Dr Lecter they would waste no time and tears in ending him this time with lethal injection so in her mind her actions were justified.

As the saying goes, all’s fair in love and war and she had proved today that when cornered she was just as deadly as the Doctor if not more so for appearing so sweet and wholesome. She always knew she would be prepared to do anything rather than let anybody take him away from her and today had proved that.


	6. Chapter 6

It was early January 1999 now and nearly a week since Garcia had vanished.

Sofia was still unwell in hospital, Clarice had visited a few times consoling her while she tried to understand what had happened to her husband. Many would consider this a two faced act, but to not do this would have simply aroused more suspicion and whilst Clarice was beginning to find her sobbing rather tedious by now she kept up the pretence of caring, even distributing missing posters along the Avenue and houses nearby should anyone have seen him.

The local police had visited as Sofia had told them he was staying at the Mansion Maguire with their employers until alternative accommodation was found due to the fire at their home.

The Doctor and Clarice cooperated fully, making a statement which was taken in their drawing room alongside a tray of coffee and biscuits.

They kept to the same story as Sofia in that he had indeed stayed on the night in question and had returned for his belongings the next day and to take the address of the hotel the Novaks had arranged for him.  
They explained that he had then left preferring to use the Metro to travel to the hotel instead of inconveniencing them any further for looking after him so well and that was the last time they ever saw him.

They vouched that he seemed in good spirits after a good nights sleep and was more upbeat about things having just got back from seeing his wife at the hospital that morning where the outlook for her health long term was good.

They also explained that they simply could not understand it. Clarice also added that she felt the loss more as in her mind they were building a friendship and she had hoped if he was troubled he might have confided in her but had obviously chosen not to do so.

The inspector agreed that this was a very odd business all round. Had he been abducted mid afternoon somebody would have been sure to see, and what would they want him for ?

In his private opinion, one he shared off record with the Novaks, he believed he had simply taken off. Probably had a woman on the side he said in a hushed voice more towards the Doctor than Clarice.

So with little else to go on the Inspector left, leaving a card in case they thought of anything else at a later date and that was that.

Sofia eventually left hospital but was advised not to work again so retired and dedicated the rest of her life to looking for her husband. She placed missing posters around the city year on year in the hope someone somewhere would come forward with information.

Once a year she would visit the Mansion Maguire and take tea with her old employers the Novaks, finding comfort in this house being the last place he was seen and they the last known people he had spoken to.

She especially enjoyed having tea on the verandah overlooking the garden that he loved and had most enjoyed bringing back to life from its wild state. Oh what happy times they should still be having here she would sob as the Doctor handed her tissues and Clarice poured the tea.

One thing that prickled Clarice was seeing Sofia’s distress at her missing husband. The pain people go through in this situation that are left behind with no answers to their loved ones fate.

She thought now guiltily of Ardelia and how in twelve months which had flown by for Clarice must have seemed an eternity to her just waiting for news of any kind, just like Sofia was now.

The Doctor came up with the idea of writing her a note, just a short note not giving anything away but reassuring Ardelia she was alive, well and happy and more importantly not to worry.

Clarice approved of this idea. She knew in her heart she would never see Ardelia anymore, she loved her like a sister but these days they had nothing in common anymore and to have any contact, even a phone number was just too risky. 

She did not feel the need for regular contact anyway but did want a keepsake. When they went back to the jewellers the Doctor had bought her Emeralds from for her birthday she commissioned him to make from the ten stones one necklace and two identical rings, one inscribed CS-AM and the other AM-CS.  
One she would enclose with the note to Ardelia the other one she would keep to wear herself.

New staff from the Agency arrived. This time they just appointed a housekeeper and cook and decided to do the driving themselves.  
A gardener came in once a week to cut the grass and keep the shrubbery under control and life returned to normal.

For now at least.


End file.
